During a Pap smear the most uncomfortable part will be when the doctor inserts a speculum into your vagina. However, the pain should be minimal and brief. Peter Dazeley/Getty Images A Pap smear is a ...

A Pap smear, also called a Pap test, is a screening procedure for cervical cancer. It tests for the presence of precancerous or cancerous cells on your cervix. The cervix is the opening of the uterus.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about women's health and reproductive health Less than one in 10 people told Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust said they ...

If a person receives a positive human papillomavirus (HPV) result from a Pap smear, they need a colposcopy to confirm the diagnosis. This is a minimally invasive procedure that healthcare ...

In 18 months' time, I will receive a letter I've been dreading. That letter will invite me to book an appointment for a smear test. My anxiety may seem a little unwarranted, but from talking to other ...

It is possible to have an abnormal smear but a normal colposcopy result. This can happen when someone has a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection but no precancerous mutations in the cervix. Cervical ...

The number of women having cervical screenings has reached a 20-year low, with one in four failing to attend their appointment. But with two women dying every day from cervical cancer in the UK - and ...

Despite living in an era with a major focus on health and wellbeing, the number of women attending their smear tests is at its lowest rate in almost two decades. The potentially lifesaving screening ...

A woman who put off having a smear test "for years" has said finally deciding to go for the appointment "saved her life". Joanne Male from Chippenham, Wiltshire, attended her smear appointment last ...

While HPV is linked to cervical cancer, not every infection is dangerous, and with regular screening and vaccination, most ...

Every year, from January 18 to 24, organisations raise awareness about the importance of pap smears as part of Cervical Cancer Awareness Week and, in 2021, one of their main focuses is ensuring people ...

A woman who had a near-miss experience with cervical cancer has launched an online petition - calling for the NHS to reverse its new smear test rule. The NHS England change - introduced in July - ...